TRA arrests 35 traders over failure to adhere to revenue Act

By The guardian reporter

12th November 2012

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The Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has arrested 35 traders in Iringa and Njombe regions for failure to adhere to the revenue Act which wants them to issue receipts through the electronic cash device in all sale transactions they make.

TRA officials who conducted the exercise in the regions collected over 18m/- after revealing that they did not issue receipts using the gadget as directed by the authority.

Speaking to journalists here ahead the taxpayers’ day the authority’s regional manager, Rosalia Mwenda, said the exercise would continue to all districts in the regions.

“We have arrested 35 traders and fined them for failure to issue receipts, and up to the moment we have collected over 18m/-. They have to understand that this is an ongoing exercise,” she said.
However she urged people to demand receipts after purchasing goods from traders in order to assost the government to increase revenue.

“Some dishonest traders do not want to issue receipts, there is a need for customers to demand them since this would reduce acts of tax evasion,” she added
According to TRA, Iringa Region this year targets to collect 23.7bn/- from various sources while the Income Tax Department intends to collect 110.1bn/- . A total of 23.6bn/- would come from local Income Tax Department.

However, up to the moment Iringa Region, which is yet to be separated from the new Njombe Region, has collected over 24.7bn/- an equivalent of 105 percent.

On the taxpayers’ day, she said, TRA will provide humanitarian supports to child orphanage centres and children living under vulnerable conditions.